A window cleaner spray bottle is an example of the kind of spray bottles which the present invention addresses. Hard surface sprayers, hair and cosmetic sprayers and pesticide sprayers are additional examples of applications addressed by this invention.
Conventional spray bottles such as these, however, comprise numerous parts and are relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble. In fact, the spray mechanisms of these bottles often cost more than the product contained within the bottle. Also, the spray bottles are usually relatively complicated, so that many small parts must be handled and assembled during manufacture. For example, many spray mechanisms include piston-style pumps, trigger handles, siphon tubes, and nozzles permitting variable spray configurations. Moreover, because some probability of failure during operation exists for each part, there are almost certainly a higher than necessary number of faulty bottles.
Another problem associated with conventional spray bottles is that some of the product is wasted. For example, a conventional window cleaner spray bottle contains a tube in the center of the bottle for drawing liquid up into the spray mechanism. The tube stops short of the bottom of the bottle so that the bottom does not block liquid from the tube. Thus, when the bottle is almost empty, any liquid below the tube will remain in the bottle. Also, more than the desired amount of product may be sprayed upon each application, thereby resulting in waste, because neither the volume of the product to be delivered nor the duration of the spray can be easily controlled.
An additional important consideration is the spray bottle's ease of use. Many people, especially the elderly and people with arthritic hands, may have difficulty manipulating conventional trigger sprayers. A significant force is required to depress the trigger of some spray bottles. Thus, it is desirable to provide a spray bottle with a trigger that may either be finger-driven or palm-driven and which achieves the maximum available pound per square inch (PSI) for spraying the liquid. It would also be desirable if the trigger included a finger grip configuration to improve user comfort, as well as make the trigger easier to hold and squeeze.
Another consideration with respect to ease of use involves large capacity sprayers. Large capacity sprayers, such as those currently used in the garden industry, require two hands. The large bottle or container must be carried in one hand, while the sprayer is held in the other. A large capacity spray bottle that can be held in one hand and be either finger-driven or palm-driven would be significantly less cumbersome and more efficient to use.
With the increasing emphasis that is being placed on environmental issues, the ability to refill the spray bottle with more product rather than dispose of the empty bottle is extremely important. However, because many users may prefer to purchase a new bottle instead, spray bottles should be made of a recyclable material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,851 (Libit et al.) discloses a spray or dispensing bottle with an integrally molded pump to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with conventional spray bottles. The molded bottle with trigger bulb pump of the present invention offers improvements to the bottle shown in the Libit et al. patent.